Lost Cause: Ascender
by Tendencies' Wrath
Summary: In the dark universe of the future there's no time to think or stay idle. All that matters is to be faster and smarter than the other guy shooting at you, as Gray Fullbuster will realize when he finds himself in the middle of a war he never intended to get into. The only hope for mankind lies in his helmet and through sweat, bullets and blood he will deliver it to the right hands.
1. Drilling exercises

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.**

**Nor do I own anything else in this chapter or story that's related to other movies, games or animes.**

**I do own the idea for the fic though.**

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**(A/N: Okay! I was reading Roxas.97's "Venomous Reality" and Shedauwz' "A Ghost's Conviction" (amazing stories btw) and I suddenly had a revelation. Uhm, well, it's more like a reminder... before getting myself into Fairy Tail and all its jazz, I was a Sci-Fi lover... yeah. Movies, games, books, etc. I love all of that, so... and seeing there's not many stories about this genre in the archive, I decided to give it a shot, try to write something along the lines of a chaotic future and see how it goes. *nods* I hope you enjoy it. I put a lot of myself into this story and even planned it beforehand, doing my best to create something worth the read.  
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**Thanks to my pal Matt *winks*, you know who you are, and his help beta-reading the prologue. Sorry for bothering you with this when you have so much on your shoulders, pal. I promise to improve and continue with this story. Btw pal, you were right, there was a mistake. I rechecked my info and found out Admiral is a higher rank than Colonel... *chuckles* I corrected it and done. Thanks for pointing out.  
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**Enough talk! *grins* Let's see if you like this. Leave a review if you do, no matter how short, I'll appreciate it.)  
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* * *

**Lost Cause.**

**Transmission 00: **_"Drilling exercises"_**.**

* * *

_Planet Galuna._

_2nd moon, Fiore._

_Settlement T-005, 13:20._

_-Your coffee is ready.-_

"Yeah yeah, whatever…" The young man groaned tiredly, annoyed by the faked female voice produced by the vending machine, and snatched the cup with his drink from the holder, turning to continue on his way, which wasn't clear in his mind. He ran a hand through his spiky black-colored hair and sighed after taking a sip from his hot beverage, looking at the road and the people bustling through the streets with no interest whatsoever. 'Always the same…'

The year is X576 After the First Colonization, or AFC.

The Confederation rules over more than a dozen colonies, planets and moons under the command of its Emperor Faust Fernandez and the Army led by his son Gerard and his seven generals, stationed strategically in positions where they are most valuable. Peace does not usually last in the system, but the timely intervention of those watching over the Confederacy's government keeps things under control and calm for the citizens living there.

At the moment, we are in Galuna's second moon, Fiore, following the daily movements of one citizen that prefers to spend his time wandering around Settlement T-005's streets rather than committing to something in his life. He was wearing just a simple white jacket, red shirt and black cargo pants. The day was just perfect; not too cold, nor too hot.

_-Looking for a way to end the boredom? Want to prove your worth or just show your idiotic brainy friends how much you changed since the Academy? Join the Confederate Army today! Go to your nearest recruitment post now!-_

'Sure I will~' His lips twitched, wanting to grin at the message repeated by the poster near the corner of that block of stores, but he fought it back marvelously and kept on walking, the green sign at the other side of the street letting the people around and him know that it was safe to cross. He eyed some business men talking loudly to their phones and some families hanging around with their kids, there was not a single person of his age in sight. 'Am I the only youngster here or what?'

It was after a long walk that he reached his destination.

'Here we are…' He looked at the greenery in front of him, a small smile going to his face when he remembered why he liked to hang around that park in particular. He moved to one of the benches near the center of the park and its fountain and relaxed, closing his eyes to enjoy the fresh air even more, though they half opened when a thought came to mind. 'I wish… I could see them again…'

_-Incoming phone call.-_

"You don't say…" Pulling the square shaped device from his chest pocket, he flipped it open and stared at the screen, already groaning in frustration. "Oh, what does he want?"

He accepted the call.

_-Hey Gray, how's it going?- _A cool male voice asked him from the other end, mirth overflowing his tone when hearing a growl from the man he was talking to. _–Losing time at the park again?-_

"Shut up," Gray snarled, not liking to be bothered at the moment. "And why're you calling, huh? Isn't it four in the morning there?"

He could imagine the owner of the voice shrugging. _-Emergency drill, we are to stay awake for tonight.-_

"Shouldn't you be doing… some kind of military stuff then?"

_-I've to pass fake notes to the personnel and officers, nothing I can't handle while talking to you.- _The tone in the man's voice changed to a harsher one. _–Listen Gray, if you still haven't decided on something to do with your pitiful life, I recommend you waste your time in the army. At least there you will be doing something for others and not just for yourself.-_

"Why cannot I have a life like I have now?" Gray sighed tiredly, not wanting to join in on another of their discussions. "I'm fine like this…"

_ -Because it's an eyesore for those that know you.- _The owner of the voice sighed.

"And why'd I care about what the others think, huh?!" Gray snapped, glaring at the fountain in the middle of the park and attracting some attention from people around the place. He lowered his voice. "Listen Lyon, I won't join the army, I won't study, nor take a normal job… I'll be fine with the money Ur left for me…"

_ -…you're lucky we're millions of kilometers away or I would've blasted your head off.-_

And the call was ended.

Gray pulled the phone away from his ear, staring at it with narrowed eyes before throwing it to the fountain. He had enough. 'Asshole,' He glared at those staring oddly at him and left the place, not wanting to stay there any longer. 'Because he's some shitty officer in the Army doesn't mean he can go and try to make me join.' He crossed the street when the sign was red, not caring for the cars stopping and blasting their horns at his recklessness, and continued to go back on his steps. Passing the vending machine, there was a corridor that leads to some stairs to the upper floors of a five story building. He climbed his way through the steps with a fast pace. 'I'll do whatever the fuck I want…'

Gray Fullbuster. Born in Settlement T-005 of Galuna's second moon, Fiore. Twenty-one years old. Single.

Unemployed.

Adopted child of Ur Milkovich, brother of Lyon Vastia and Ultear Milkovich, he spent most of his youth looking for his real parents with no true success or care for the new family that adopted him. Always by himself, never with others, he made a habit of taking long walks to nowhere or just sat for hours at the park with no other reason than to stare at his surroundings.

Thinking of where his family could be. A thing he was cut short of doing for some time when he was a student at the Academy and his friends learned of this troublesome issue of his from his siblings. He managed to set his thoughts straight but the issue was still there.

When he reached the age of eighteen his foster-mother died of natural causes, with her life insurance leaving him a big sum of credits so he could continue his search. Money that didn't last long. Bad decisions, paying to the wrong sources and the money that was left for him was enough to provide him with shelter for a few months more.

A serious detail his brother and sister didn't know about.

'Fuck him! I'm going to bed…' He got to the fifth floor, walked to the door at the end of a long hallway and passed a card through a scanner, hearing it beep in confirmation before the door slid open. He stripped off his jacket, left his card and wallet on the table and dropped on the couch opposite to a medium sized TV.

The small apartment had all that he needed. A bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and a large living room where a small round table and two seats were so he could have his meals like any other person. The only bad thing was the smell. He never bothered to clean the dishes or open the windows to let some fresh air inside. The air was heavy and filled with nicotine, a result of countless sleepless nights spent smoking in front of his TV, trying to dig deep into his mind for the short blurry memories of his biological parents or just wondering what else could he do if there was no new clue about them in a few weeks' time.

Lyon was right; even if he wouldn't admit it to him he needed to do something with his life. But what could he do when there was no money to pay for a career at Superior Academy? And getting a job was hard with all the people that populated this moon.

He could now understand why his friends from the Academy did it but there was no way he would join the army!

Just the idea of ending up as his brother's subordinate... 'The idiot will make my life an everyday nightmare!' …sent shivers down his spine.

Now on the couch, he ordered the apartment's computer to close the curtains shut and the place was left in the dark.

His eyes closed.

He cleared his mind of any thoughts.

And drifted off to a long nap.

* * *

_Fortress World - Planet Crocus._

'_Scars' Headquarters._

_Communications room, 04:12._

In a well illuminated room inside a large building that had a large concentration of antennas on its rooftops; five rows of computers were set in front of a large screen that showed the general status of the defense systems and the state of every soldier and base in the planet.

Behind all that, there was a single seat to overview the entire operation.

And in it, there was a white-haired man glaring holes at an object in his hand.

Lyon clutched the phone in his hand tightly; ignoring the questions from the people around him and making most of them turned to look at him and what was keeping him from answering their calls for instructions. Upset from what he heard and the constant bothering, the white-haired man threw the phone to one of the screens of his officers, effectively breaking both things before letting out a loud growl and glare so his subordinates could start to mind their own business.

A deep chuckle was heard next to him.

"Calling that dumb brother of yours again?"

Lyon spun to face a tall blond man in a suit much like his own talking to him. He wore the bright yellow uniform of their regiment under a set of camouflaged protective armor on his arms, forearms, legs and chest. The small insignia on his left arm, showing the emblem of the Confederacy with a dragon holding it while giving a roar, identifying him as a Colonel of the Army. He gave him a salute before nodding to his question.

"Colonel Dreyar," sighing tiredly at the memory of today's call and the other times he talked with Gray, he continued. "Yes, that brat gets on my nerves…"

"It was the same for me with you, remember?" The blond man asked him, turning to face the broken screen and the inactive officer bowing to him in apology. "Go get some technician to fix that and stop apologizing, squirt."

"Y-yes sir!"

Lyon quirked an eyebrow, crossing his arms under the breast-plate of his suit, he stared at the blond curiously. "Why are you here, Laxus?"

"What? I cannot do a surprise inspection during the drill?" Laxus smirked at the white-haired, adjusting some loose straps on his suit's armguards. "General wants us, Colonels, to run the drill smoothly, he sent us to check on every station and ensure everything's okay." He pointed to the broken screen and some slacking officers that nervously started to work when he laid his eyes on them. "That, is not okay."

"Take it from my pay and done." Lyon shook his head and turned to the large screen of the room, a black and white light flashing in one of the planets' sectors. He groaned tiredly. "Uh? 'Skylogia'? What do they want now?"

"Let's find out." He pointed to one officer. "You, connect us." Laxus ordered and after a few clicks from the officer in charge of the calls from that division, a grinning blond appeared on the large screen. He wore a large suit of armor that covered him completely from head to toe, thick as a brick, with a retractile circular visor around the head. The suit had one side painted in black while the other was a spotless white. "Colonel Eucliffe."

"Hey there! Didn't expect to see you Laxus!" The younger blond commented merrily, playing with the visor of his helmet a few times. "Everything here is ready-merry~ All marines accounted and dressed for battle."

"Why didn't you just send a message?" The older blond asked slowly, an eyebrow twitching in annoyance.

"Uh? I wanted to show y'all my pretty face." Sting smiled sheepishly, still playing with his visor.

The personnel and the two superior officers inside the room sweatdropped.

"End the transmission." Lyon ordered, bringing a hand to his face.

* * *

'_Skylogia' Headquarters._

_Colonel's quarters, 04:27._

A room spotless as the white in the armor worn by its only occupant, with a bed nicely…

Who am I kidding?

The room was a mess only seen in movies about conflicted teenagers. Magazines scattered around the floor and desk, dirty clothes barely hanging from the closet or lying on the bed and floor, food stains on the walls. The owner could have learned proper military codes regarding cleaning of one's quarters.

_-Transmission Terminated-_

"Uh? Now what did I say?" Sting looked at the holographic screen of his desk in complete cluelessness. He clicked some buttons on the screen and tried to reestablish the connection, only to be met with the same words every time. He called off the screen and stood up from his chair, walking straight to the exit of his quarters to open the door and find his second-in-command, Major Rogue Cheney, standing right outside with disapproval etched on every corner of his face. "Great," The blond groaned. "And you're mad because…?"

"We must stand in front of the lined up troops and you're wasting time," the dark-haired man turned and walked down the corridor, being hastily followed by the one who was supposed to be his superior. "The General won't be happy if we fail this drill, and neither the Chief of Staff."

"Bah, like I could care." Sting followed his longtime friend through the endless white corridor until they found a grey double door with a deep-green sign above. It read 'Hangar 2' in white letters. "I miss the old days when we were the ones shooting stuff instead of commanding the guys that do it… don't you?"

"Indeed," Rogue admitted, feeling bored with this new schedule they had to endure. "But this is our present; men and women are counting on us to make the right calls." He nodded to himself. "We cannot fail them."

"Again with the serious stuff…" they passed through the sliding open double doors and met with the huge hangar of their division, where soldiers were forming lines from one side to the other with their superior officers standing straight in front of the rows. All the people wearing the exact same black and white armor with the only difference being the number of their respective squad and role on the right shoulder pad. A red cross, a skull in fire, a metallic skull, a skull with grenades at its sides; each one showing a role of the soldiers in question.

Rogue walked a step forward and eyed every guy in the front row, nodding to them and the order in between the ranks they managed to keep. "Squads, report."

"1st Medical Squad, ready."

"42nd Grenadier Squad, ready."

"34th Heavy Weapons Squad, ready."

"So… any news from the General?" Rogue asked his superior, seeing him scratch the back of his head anxiously through the corner of his red eyes.

"Nothing, he's pissed about my late wake ups and wants me to run this drill to perfection." The blond eyed some other squads reporting in and shook his head. "The guy's fun and all but in service he's a pain in the arse," He grinned. "Just like you…"

Rogue tilted his head to glare at the chuckling blond.

_-Incoming Transmission-_

"Now now, who could that be?" Sting asked with a roll of his eyes, raising a hand to stop his squads from reporting so he could address the computer. "Connect us."

_-Hey babies! Ready to fly or what?- _A guy yelled through the speakers, his image appearing above the marines and annoying the officers with his crazy grin. He wore a long gray trench coat with a red outlining and several medals on his left pectoral, a gray peaked cap with the same symbol of the Confederacy at the front, his hair coming out of the sides and showing to be lavender in color. The four silver stars on his shoulders showed him to be an Admiral. _–'Aquarius' is getting impatient~!-_

"Admiral Bickslow," Both officers nodded their heads at the guy, Sting waving a hand nonchalantly while talking. "We're about ready, come anytime you want."

_-Alright then, would you mind opening the Hangars' doors?- _The Admiral asked rudely before cutting the transmission.

"I wonder how the General can stand so many crazy guys under his command," Rogue shook his head tiredly, nodding to the guys manning the hangar's control room so the ships could enter and take the soldiers to their designated sectors in the planet. "He's a really patient man…"

"That's because you didn't meet his wife," Sting shivered and moved forward when some ships entered the hangar, the mighty machines lowering themselves until they were hovering just a few centimeters from the metal floors and opening their side doors so the marines could enter. "That woman is a hard piece of work."

"Still, to stand you every day of every month of every year," Rogue smiled mockingly. "That's admirable in itself, he should get another medal."

The blond growled. "Shut up, _Major_."

* * *

_Crocus' orbit._

'_Aquarius' Insignia ship, Tenrou._

_Admiral's Bridge, 04:40._

Hovering around the orbit of their military fortress in defensive formation and ensuring every division got to their transports and destinations on time was the mighty Star Battlecruiser Tenrou and its protective fleet, 'Aquarius', overseeing the emergency drill and its success.

All around the front of the room were dozens of people and officers working non-stop and commanding the movements of the fleet and the smaller ships, making sure every maneuver was perfect and every soldier reached his assigned destination as soon as possible.

At the head of all the personnel and standing proudly before the frontal window of the bridge, watching the formations made by his ships, was Admiral Bickslow. A man of many words and irrational behavior that despite this personality of his was catalogued as a military genius and granted permission to be the Admiral of his own fleet, with the General he now serves helping in that process.

"Sir, Ghoul Squadron reports all systems are fine and running accordingly." An officer informed him from his position near the screens. "Same with Trident and Axe, all systems operational."

"Isn't that perfect my babies~?" He turned around and walked to his chair, dropping on it with an amused grin in his face. "What's the status of Fairy and Lamia?"

"Planet Battlecruisers Fairy and Lamia report all systems are in the green, and they are ready for more orders."

"Aw yeah~" He pressed some buttons on the armrest of his chair and a holographic screen appeared before him, showing him the movements of his ship, the Fairy and the Lamia, and many transport and combat ships moving from one sector to the other, all of them reporting the fulfillment of their orders with seconds to spare. His grin widened. "The General will be pleased with our efficiency."

"Sir," his Vice Admiral came to stand next to him and bended forward to whisper something to his ear. "We are receiving a call from 'Spectre'."

"Aw man~ and when everything is okay, that old hag…" The image of the person of which he was talking about appeared without authorization on his screen, frowning at his words. She was wearing the same uniform as him, and the rank on her shoulder showed her to be a lower rank than his in the ground forces, a Colonel. Still, she was fearsome and deathly enough to force Bickslow to shut up, even if he was her superior officer. He flinched and thrashed his arms around. "I-I mean…! That nice old lady wants something? What could it be?"

_ -Save your words for someone who cares, Admiral,- _the pink-haired woman had no time to waste, if her narrowed eyes meant anything. _–'Spectre' is still waiting for your ships to arrive, do you mind explaining why is that?-_

"H-hey, is that true Max?" Bickslow asked to his Vice Admiral, who was standing next to him shaking his head stiffly. He faced the screen again and shrugged. "I don't know about that, reports say our ships are outside your position and waiting to load your guys."

_-You do remember 'Spectre' was to move to 'Rune' location and wait for transportation there, don't you Admiral?-_ The woman closed her eyes, already imagining the answer.

"Say what~?!" Bickslow's and Max's jaws hit the floor.

_-Some of your ships came and took the engineers to their respective positions,- _she typed some buttons and showed a hangar full of her soldiers waiting to be picked up before it showed her face again, looking pissed about this delay. _–Do you now this whole operation is being overseen by the General right now and that he's aware of this failure of yours?-_

The Admiral groaned loudly. "This is not my day… dammit…" He shook his head, and motioned Max to do the changes for him. "I'll correct this right now."

Vice Admiral Max Alors went and pressed some buttons on his personal computer, starting communications with the transport ships in charge of 'Spectre'. "Worm Squadron... uh... we have new coordinates; 'Spectre' is waiting at 'Rune' base for transportation."

_-Are you serious?!- _The poor pilots yelled, cutting the transmission and heading to their new destination in a hurry.

"There you have it, Colonel Porlyusca," Bickslow sighed tiredly, rubbing his eyes in frustration. "The ships will be there in just a few minutes."

_-They better be, Admiral; the General already sent me a complaint about this delay of ours.-_

The Admiral paled, not minding the abrupt end of the transmission. He slouched on his chair and started to imagine what kind of punishment would his superior deliver to him for this mistake. 'Hell, ever since he got married he got even stiffer with the rules…' He nodded to himself while making a mental note. 'Note to self, do not get married, women suck.'

"S-sir?" Max walked closer to his groaning superior, wondering if he should tell him of the new transmission waiting for him from Central Command. Though, thinking it better, it was better to have the Admiral mad at him than the General. The guy was as severe as the Military Academy instructors. "Y-you have a call from Central Command."

"WHAT?!"

* * *

Crocus' surface.

'_Rune' Headquarters._

_Communications Room, 05:03._

Another room of communications but with more sophisticated instruments, the 'Rune' Engineer Corps took pride on their well-earned reputation and did their best to keep that reputation high. Which meant no mistakes or hold ups; every little thing in which an engineer from their corps was involved was to be performed with the utmost precision and professionalism.

Not many engineer divisions were granted to be a separated unit from the main body of the army, so this was something they needed to hold for as long as possible.

"Are you sure it was okay to lie like that?" A man of short black-haired asked to Porlyusca warily, already knowing of the sudden rash impulses and snaps she was famous for. He was wearing a normal light-blue suit with protection on his arms, shoulders, chest and the lower part of his legs. A helmet, with the same dragon holding the Confederacy's emblem showed him as a Colonel, was hanging from a belt around his waist. "That's what will make the General fume."

"Do not get in my business, _Engineer,_" She glared at his form from the corner of her eyes, not minding his frowning face at the emphasis in his profession and how she despises it. "We, 'Spectre', have our reasons to do things as we do, go and find something to repair and leave me alone."

"H-hey! Don't talk to-!" Another black-haired man tried to intercede but he was silenced with a hand on his shoulder and solemn shook of head from his superior. "C-colonel…"

"I recommend you show some respect to your fellow officers, Porlyusca," the man stated sternly, narrowing his eyes at the scoffing pinkette. "Or I'll be sure to bring this situation to the General's ears."

"Do whatever you want, _Colonel Doranbolt,_" she turned to leave the room, her words still as condescending as before. "And keep your men in check."

When she left the place, hell broke loose and every single officer in the room was found asking their superior why he didn't do anything against the woman. Her diminishing words about their profession and importance irking every one of them. The man walked to his seat at the back of the room and sighed, waving the complaints away. "Because… whether we like it or not, we engineers don't fight as the other divisions do." He eyed the screens and the current positions of his men in the planet. "We don't engage the enemy; we repair vehicles and open the path for the others."

"B-but…! W-what about our assignment as an independent unit?" The black-haired guy that tried to defend him a moment ago asked, going to stand next to Doranbolt.

"That's because of our efficiency," the Colonel sighed again, leaning to a side to rest his head on his open palm. "We serve the army better by directing orders by ourselves, something not every engineer division can do."

"B-but…"

"Chill out, Lahar," Doranbolt gave a weak smile and pressed some buttons on the armrest of his chair with his free hand, straightening his posture when the big screen at the opposite side of the room showed it was trying to make a transmission. "And stand straight, the General won't be happy to see you slouched like that."

"A-aye sir." Lahar did as told and waited for the transmission to be accepted.

* * *

_Central Command of the Confederate Army in Crocus._

_War Room, 05:20._

A large oval room with officers working at the corners in computers that showed the status of every single unit in Crocus and its planetary defenses, four large screens surrounding the ceiling and depicting the situation of the planet and the other three in the star system, and a large round table with six seats around it.

Only one chair was occupied, and the person sitting there was a man that wore the highest class of uniform in the planet. Spiky rose-colored hair, squinted onyx eyes, hardened facial factions and a scar on his neck. The four golden stars in his gray uniform's shoulders showed him to be the General in charge of that place.

"Sir, 'Scars' reports to be in position."

The man nodded firmly, already expecting to hear that. 'Laxus and Lyon must have drilled their guys for the past week in preparation.'

"We received the same message from 'Skylogia'."

He quirked an eyebrow and nodded uncertainly. 'I'm surprised Sting got out of bed… Rogue surely had something to do with it.'

"Just now, 'Spectre' reported to be on its way."

He grimaced, not wanting to remember some of the complaints he got from that group of soldiers. 'Ugh… that woman… her troops are in a constant drill.'

"A message from the Tenrou; 'Aquarius' ships are ready for more instructions."

He blinked in surprise and nodded with a small smile. 'So Bickslow managed to do that change in formation?' He could still remember the freaked out face the Admiral had when he called him to make a change in the plans. 'Great!'

"Incoming call from 'Rune', sir."

'Doranbolt? What could have happened?' The man thought a bit surprised before nodding to the officer in charge of communications. "Connect us."

_-General Dragneel,-_ Doranbolt addressed him the most polite way he managed to find, giving a short salute to the pink-haired before he showed the status of his men. _–All engineers are at their designated stations and waiting for part two of the drill to begin.-_

"I see," Dragneel lowered his head in thinking. Every one of his divisions was ready for the start of the second part; it wasn't a bad time to inform them of the new orders he got from Earthland and the Chief of Staff. 'Oh, many will be pissed about this.' He joined his hands and rested his head on them, his arms taking support from the round table. "Well done, Colonel."

_-We await further instructions, sir.-_ And the transmission was over.

The pinkette leaned against the back of his chair, humming an old song while thinking about the next part of the operation. His mind playing with him and making him remember how he got there in the first place.

Natsu Dragneel. Born in Earthland's metropolis, Magnolia. Thirty years old. Married.

General of the Fortress World Crocus.

Adopted son of the late Captain Igneel Dragneel and older brother of Meredy Dragneel, he had a normal life during the short lived time he had with his foster-father. First abandoned by his biological parents to later be left alone with his sister at the age of twelve, when Captain Igneel was killed in action, he fought his way through the Academy and joined the Military, where he made some important friendships and came out of boot camp with top grades in all areas.

Two years later, during a mission to eradicate a rebel group, his marine squad was decimated and he was left stranded with a Special Forces' soldier that was with them, who happened to be the one that would later be his wife. They both stayed behind the enemy lines for almost six months, sabotaging and disrupting the rebels' supply lines and bases until the group was completely eliminated and they returned to Earthland as heroes.

After being in a stable relationship for five years, they had a son and they were married. The two of them serving the army in their respective positions and doing their best to ensure a peaceful and bright future for their son and all the citizens of the Confederacy.

'Nice memories…' Natsu smiled melancholically, fond of the old days when he was available to go into the battlefield. Now, he was in charge of a larger group, giving orders and making sure everything ended in success. Nothing hard for him, but he still missed the thrill of the frontlines, the bullets flying close to him, the tactical charges, the sound of explosions close and away from him. He shook his head in dry amusement. 'Now I get why she stayed as a Major… she realized it sooner than I did.'

"Sir, transmissions coming from all divisions." An officer passing by told him, waking him up from his thoughts.

"Connect them." He returned to his position supporting his head with his hands and stared at the five screens appearing where the other seats in the round table were, each one of his Colonels giving a salute and waiting for him to give the next order. "People, is everything running smoothly?"

_-You know it is like that, why do you ask?-_ Sting voiced out for everyone, in the way none of them dared to do.

So they ignored his question and moved to report their statuses.

_-'Scars' Shock Troopers are at the outposts outside Training Area 14, waiting for more orders.-_ Laxus shook his head and informed his troops' situation.

_-'Spectre' Special Forces are spread at the four corners of Training Area 14, waiting for further instructions.-_ Porlyusca rubbed her temple and scowled at the image of the younger blond.

_-'Aquarius' Fleet is hovering near the area, ready to rock.- _Bickslow stuck out his tongue, showing a strange tribal tattoo on it, and nodded with a grin.

An awkward silence followed.

"Colonel Eucliffe, what is the status of 'Skylogia'?" Natsu asked slowly, groaning and rubbing his eyelids in tiredness.

_-Uh? A-ah yes! 'Skylogia' Marines are spread throughout the bunkers and trenches,- _Sting started to explain, trying his best to use the military language. They all knew each other, why couldn't they talk normally? _–Medics are at the center of Training Area 14, Heavy Weapons squads are equally distributed around the four corners and bunkers, and Marine and Grenadier squads are in the trenches.-_

"You mean to say, Fire and Suppression squads are in the trenches, right?" Natsu corrected sternly. He was able to understand the guy's problem with military language, but there was little he could do against it. All conversations were recorded and sent to Earthland for processing and storage. If Central Command in Earthland happened to learn of an entire army disregarding the military protocol, there would be hell to pay. Too many demotions for Natsu's liking.

_-A-aye sir, excuse my mistake.-_ Sting paled and bowed in apology.

The General waved his concern and continued with the meeting.

"As you all know, there had been some complaints from the higher-ups regarding the past drills," he shook his head tiredly, trying to ignore the younger blond's constant apologies and continued. "So they asked us to run one every week for the next three months."

A collective gasp was heard with the exception of the pink-haired woman, who nodded in acceptance.

"With a few changes though." Natsu nodded in Doranbolt's direction and allowed him to speak.

_-Central Command in Earthland sent drones to give 'reality' to our drills,-_ he pressed some buttons and showed an army of machines waiting in Training Area 12 to be activated and sent to battle. His face darkened. _–They have real weapons and the capacity to confront our forces in equal grounds. The higher-ups made sure to download every piece of information about us in those things.-_

Eyes widened at the revelation.

_-That's crazy! How can we fight against real enemies?! What if we are attacked or something during the drill?!-_ Sting yelled in disbelief, earning a glare from his General and fellows. It was fine to have doubts, but there were ways to voice them out, especially in front of a military board.

_-Did you approve of this, sir?-_ Laxus asked cautiously, knowing the answer beforehand but asking in Sting's place to save him some face.

The pink-haired man said nothing.

_-A real fighting experience, huh?- _Porlyusca nodded in acceptance. _–Delightful.-_

_-Who will be the one to activate and control the drones?-_ Bickslow asked in complete cluelessness.

_-'Rune' Engineers are placed at the drone control center in Training Area 9, sir.-_ Doranbolt gave his late situation status and informed the rest of the people about the ones that will be controlling the fighter drones. He smirked smugly in Porlyusca's direction, earning a narrowing of eyes from her. _–When you give the order, the drones will be activated.-_

_-So that's why I saw just a bunch of your guys around here.-_ Sting stated, narrowing his eyes in thinking. If their squads just had a handful of engineers, there wasn't much they could do to stop an advancing army of machines. Not even if the 'Rune' Engineers were renowned for their efficiency and speed.

_-Most of the free engineers were sent to the fleet.-_ The Engineers' Colonel continued to explain, looking at the flabbergasted Bickslow.

_-You mean to say my fleet will fight as well?-_ He got a nod in response to which he responded with an excited grin. _–Finally! You guys won't be the only ones having all the fun!-_

_-Sir, excuse me but, what was wrong with the old training system?-_ Laxus eyed the pinkette in seriousness, not understanding this change. Soldiers will get hurt with this new drilling procedure, there will be human casualties and invaluable machinery lost.

What was Central Command thinking?

Natsu sighed tiredly, nodding at the question. "It seems the lack of rebel activity is making the Emperor worry about our skills, he fears we will get out of shape and fail to repel their possible next offensive." He ran a hand across his pink locks and frowned. "As to your other question; yes, I did agree with this change."

There was another silence before his Colonels started to nod and cut their communications.

_-Then 'Spectre' will wait for the start of the training.-_

_-It doesn't look like we have much of a choice so, 'Skylogia' will wait as well.-_

_-'Aquarius' is waiting eagerly.-_

_-…-_ Laxus looked at the General once more before sighing. _–If you agreed to this, then 'Scars' will wait for it as well.-_

_-You know what to do, sir, give the order and 'Rune' will activate the drones.-_

**-Transmission Terminated-**

* * *

_**-Decoding encrypted transmission-**_

_**-…-**_

_**-Decoding Complete-**_

_**-Audio logs available-**_

"Start it."

_-Ghoul Squadron reports heavy casualties-_

"H-hey… aren't those…?!"

_-Wheelers have all-round protective shields.-_

"S-sir, the Star Battlecruiser Cerberus is returning from the outer rims... their distress signal is active."

"What the…?!"

_**-Audio logs blocked-**_

_**-Restarting decoding process-**_

_**-…-**_

_**-System failure-**_

* * *

**(A/N: So? What do you think? As you were able to see, Gray will be the main character. *shrugs* I saw that the archive writes too much about Natsu or Lucy or Erza or Jellal or Gajeel or whoever else so I decided to give the guy some more spotlight. He's cool anyway, and fits the role I have in mind for this story. Yeah yeah, the start of the chapter was the only one showing Gray but that will change with the next chapters. Be patient. *nods***

**Until next time.**

**Saludos.)  
**


	2. Rude Awakening

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.**

**Nor do I own anything else in this chapter or story that's related to other movies, games or animes.**

**I do own the idea for the fic though.**

* * *

**Lost Cause.**

**Transmission 01: **_"Rude awakening"_**.**

* * *

_Fortress World - Planet Crocus._

_Training Grounds - Area 14, 05:49._

A barren wasteland of a hundred square kilometers, the Training Areas of Crocus were the places where the best soldiers of the system proved their worth to their superiors in Central Command through a baptism of fire against their own, or against machines in some cases, before being sent to the frontlines and different divisions in the system. Wherever they are needed to ensure peace and prosperity of those not aligned with the rebels' ideals.

Showed in maps as a designed network of squares formed by horizontal and vertical lines, the huge extension of terrain was more than enough to simulate a small war in between recruits or veteran soldiers, providing all the obstacles and covers a real battlefield has, and including the constant changes in weather and temperature.

From a freezing tundra to a blazing desert, the soldiers of the Confederacy were pushed to the limits in the RBTs, Real Battle Trials, set to prove if their basic training worked for something or they need more before joining actual combat.

And those failing by injured in these challenges were to be sent to the medical wards to recover and prepare for the next trial. No recruit was to be sent back home unless he was given a dishonorable discharge from Central Command.

Of course, never in those trials were the recruits or soldiers to confront each other with real weapons.

But Central Command had a different idea at the moment.

"This brings some memories," Sting muttered quietly, touching a scrap of metal stuck to the ground with his free hand. Surrounded by sand, the metal junk seemed to have been the wing of one of the fleet's star fighters that was left there after decommissioning to be used as cover. The Wyvern Star Fighter or SF-21, a three winged aircraft armed with three burst lasers and six Air-to-Air rockets, with a dual-engine that gave it a speed not a single Star or Planet Battlecruiser could match. They were also hard for the defensive turrets to catch. Unfortunately, newer Space Fighters were designed and the Wyvern was supplanted for the now active Dragon SF-25, which had a thicker armor, powered burst lasers, homing rockets and a triple-engine that granted him an even more frightening speed. "This thing saved me from failing the trials more than once…"

"Good to know, sir." A soldier following close behind commented him, his peers containing their laughs. "Now we know where to find you."

"Haha, real funny, Private," the blond rolled his eyes and shook his head in amusement. Some other Colonel might have sent the guy to the latrines for a month but he had no trouble with cracking some jokes with his men. Since they were together in the battlefield it was better if the guys liked him; he didn't want to be left behind when shit hits the fan because his men found him annoying, bossy, or merciless or whatever other traits his fellow Colonels were famous for. They moved forward, patrolling in between the first and third trenches, through the second trench with their eyes inspecting their surroundings. "But no kidding, today's exercises are going to be tough. Earthland's Central Command issued a new training program and now we'll be fighting with real bullets."

"A-are you serious, sir?" A Corporal standing close to the previous soldier asked in disbelief.

"Do you believe I'd joke about something like that?"

He was met with silence.

"I'll ask again," the Colonel growled and fixed his men with his eyes, scowling at their trembling forms. He might not be as the other Colonels but he did have a fearsome reputation to keep them in check. "Do you seriously believe I'd joke about something like that, soldiers?"

"N-no sir, of course not!"

"Great." turning around to continue with their march, he didn't fail to hear the collective sigh of relief from behind him. A grin came to his face. 'That'll teach them a lesson.' But then, remembering the issue he was talking with them, he turned serious. "It seems the engineers'll be manning an army of drones or something like that; they'll aim to kill us and whoever's caught in the crossfire will die."

"W-wow, why would they do such a change?"

"Something wrong with the previous drills?"

"Or maybe the last trials didn't get many good results…?"

"Sir?"

"Beats me," Sting shrugged at the questions, not knowing the answer himself. He eyed some grenadiers cleaning their weapons in the third trench and some heavy weapon squads carrying their machine guns to the bunkers. He nodded when they stared in his direction. 'For what I saw, they're just a bunch of drones, no need for anti-armored weapons.' The hold on his Scorpio Assault Rifle tightened. "I only care for something..."

"And what's that, sir?" His soldiers asked knowingly, grinning behind the visors of their helmets.

The blond turned to face them, confidence leaking from every pore of his being.

"The crushing fall of our enemies," he raised his rifle in the air with the barrel pointing to the orange sky. "And the victorious ascension of our division." Some soldiers around, listening to his words through the intercom, stood up and gave a salute in his direction. A single groan was heard. "From the darkest shadows we come, to the blinding lights we march! We bring peace and glory to those we swore to defend by the strength of our bodies and the fire of our guns! Skylogias!"

"We're ready, sir!" The roar of his men was heard throughout the training area.

* * *

"Seems they're heating up, Skylogia that is," Laxus commented from his spot in the outposts a kilometer away from the trenches, the combined voices of the marines reaching to his ears. He shook his head in amusement and looked over his shoulder to his second-in-command, who was keeping vigilance over the area with some other troopers. "Hey Lyon, can you come up with something like that?"

"Something like what, sir?" The white-haired didn't pay attention to the battle cry of a moment ago, having grown accustomed to it after the umpteenth time. He continued to inspect their surroundings, stopping to stare at even the slightest of movements and take note of some possible positions they might be able to take after repelling the first wave of drones.

They were shock troopers; their goal was to move forward and lead the way, not to stand in the defensive with the rest of the army.

"An inspiring speech for our guys… you know, to raise morale and all." The blond moved to the frontal part of the outpost, laying his hands on the low covering wall and using it as support while he fixed his eyes where Area Twelve and their enemies were supposed to be. "I believe we need one as well."

"I believe, sir, as long as you are the one commanding us," Lyon nodded to his own thoughts, looking to the sides to see their men approving of his words. "That'll be all the encouragement we'll ever need."

"Oh?" Laxus smirked approvingly, leaning forward to support his head with one hand, his elbow holding his weight with the wall as base. He was glad to know of this vote of confidence from his men, feeling grateful of the trust they had in him and his skills. "That's a nice speech for Scars alright."

* * *

_-Squad One, in position.-_

_-Squad Three, in position.-_

_-Squad Six, in position.-_

_-Squad Four, in position.-_

"Squads One, Three, Four and Six are to give support, focus your fire on objectives with heavy weapons and light vehicles." Porlyusca commanded through the intercom, standing tall in front of a holographic screen that showed her the movements of her troops. The squads that reported to be ready were stationed at the four corners of the main fortification of Area Fourteen and waiting to get sight of the enemy. Right now, she was giving her last orders to the men under her command. After the start of the second part, every squad was to move accordingly to her instructions. "Squad Two, stay close to the medical ward and give cover to the medical teams and wounded soldiers."

_-Understood.-_

"Squad Five is to stay inside the central bunker and act as spotter for the fleet's bombers."

_-Scopes free?-_

"Negative, Five, save your ammo for the counter-strike."

_-Will do.-_

"Squad Seven," she shifted to her left, addressing the last squad of the Spectre Special Forces. Nine men stood in line in front of her, all of them behind a single female figure with brown hair that stood straight in presence of her leader and wore the standard suit for the special forces of the whole system. A dark grey tight skin bodysuit was the only similarity with the others. According to the codes settled during the foundation of the first SF division, the armor of each group was the only thing meant to be different. The Spectre Special Forces' protective armor consisted on black shoulder pads, chest plate, waist guards, gauntlets, and boots that reached to their knees. A head-shaped helmet at the top with two different lenses that allowed for thermal and night vision, on the left eye, and one single lens on the right eye to serve as a target locker. "You will wait near the outposts and later head to Area Nine when the second part starts."

"Isn't there where the Drone Control Center is, Colonel?" The female SF asked, raising her Sagittarius Sniper Rifle to rest it on her shoulder, her free hand resting on her hip.

"Indeed, Lieutenant. Our objective in this drill is to incapacitate the enemy," Porlyusca narrowed her eyes, remembering the smirk she received from the Rune Engineer Colonel. She was going to get back at him for that smug attitude during their last meeting. "The drones are mere puppets, cannon-fodder for the main army's advance, our true objective are the engineers controlling them in Area Nine."

"Pardon me but, is the General aware of this?" The brown-haired Lieutenant titled her head to a side.

"General Dragneel didn't say anything on behalf of this maneuver," she smirked cunningly, her tricky and experienced mind already plotting a way to get off the hook and get what she wanted at the same time. "But he didn't say anything against it either."

The SF woman remained quiet. She was aware of this move her leader wanted to pull as revenge for all that happened before they arrived to the Training Area. She knew the pinkette didn't like errors in the General's plans, as it happened with Aquarius' delay, or to be insulted, even if the Rune Colonel did as little as to smirk smugly at her. It wasn't rare for the SF officer to be involved in one of her superior's plans so, she paid it no mind as always.

"Sounds like a plan," she nodded in the end, moving her rifle to hold it with both hands. "I will carry out your orders to the letter."

"Good," Porlyusca faced her screen once more, checking the map and the movements of everyone as before. "Now leave to your positions and wait for your signal."

"Roger."

* * *

"Sword Squadron, Area Five has skies clear, proceed to location and wait for further instructions, over."

_-Systems primed.-_

"Axe Squadron, Lamia requests an escort, over."

_-On the way!-_

"Trident Squadron, Fairy's hangars are full, you'll have to wait a few more minutes, over."

_-Hurry up! We are running down on fuel here!-_

"Ghoul, Reaver, Zombie, the Tenrou's defensive systems will suffice. Head to Area Fourteen and cover our ground forces, over."

_-Will do, command.-_

"Locate all transports away from the fueling stations in hangar four, clear hangars two and three for the engineers to work on possible damaged fighters, set hangar one for the Grandine Medevacs and their escorts, our guys down there will surely need to be sent to the Military Hospitals." Bickslow, despite his cheerful and uncaring persona, was giving orders left and right, dispatching more messages to his already tired officers and communication experts. "Set the entire fleet on Byron Formation, we are not going to be forced to the defensive by a group of mindless drones."

"Aye sir!"

"Sir, Engineer Squad Eight wants to know their assigned position." Max was also on service mode, doing his best to keep on with his superior's orders and the soldiers' requests.

"Squad Eight? Place them near the engines and shield generators; I don't want to lose mobility or protection during this new drill." He walked hurriedly to his chair, pressing some buttons to see how much time was left before the start of the second part. He turned it off and shook his head, rubbing his forehead while his other hand took off his peaked cap. "This is serious shit," he grinned excitedly. "I was missing this pressure."

"Mermaid and Pegasus want new coordinates, sir."

Turning his attention to the officer that called him, Bickslow exchanged glances in between the screen in the middle of the Bridge and the landscape that could be seen from outside through the windows. "They are to stay near Area Three for further instructions; if engaged, they are free to open fire and repel the enemy."

"Aye sir."

"Message from Ghost and Night Raid, they ask why their fighters have not been yet deployed."

He groaned tiredly. "Burn and Liquor Squadrons must stay as back-ups in case an active squadron falls; they are to take its places."

"Message from the ground forces, sir; Skylogia's medics want to know the status of the Medevacs and their supplies."

"Medevacs are ready and fully equipped; they can only be called for serious injuries, not less."

He continued to pace from one corner of the room to the other, replying to each and every message sent to the fleet without stopping for a second. There were many orders heading his way; his officers and him were not enough, an entire army was asking for their support, protection or transportation during a real battle exercise.

He didn't have a problem with the work, but the complaints… oh darn.

Just what was CC in Earthland thinking?

* * *

_Central Command of the Confederate Army in Crocus._

_War Room, 06:20._

"Skylogia is in position."

"Scars have the ground scouted."

"Spectre's squads are stationed around the base."

"Aquarius changed to offensive formation; Tenrou, Lamia, Fairy, Mermaid, Pegasus, Ghost and Night Raid have weapon systems ready and shields at full power."

"Good." Natsu oversaw the whole operation from his chair, growing bored and tired with each second he spent inside that room hearing the communications in between the soldiers and officers under his command. Everything was under control and been prepared accordingly as it would be in a real fight. Though, his subordinates were about to find out just how hard it was to fight against these machines sent from the Capital. He saw a demonstration of how Earthland's divisions faired against the drones and it was not surprising; the drones were annihilated without a single casualty from the Confederate troops. But those were the royal forces of the Capital, the ones in charge of guarding Emperor Faust. The result would surely be different against the troops from the colonies and planets under Confederate rule. The pink-haired shook his head. "We've the best guys too. I gotta have more faith in them or the thing'll turn to shit."

He could still remember as clear as the day the instructions left by the Chief of Staff. If he happened to intervened to ensure the victory of his divisions, or cancelled the machines' assault, the whole planet would be qualified as unprepared and a daily drilling would be established.

"It's almost time, sir." An officer reminded him, eyeing the virtual clock in the middle of the round table.

"So it's almost six-thirty, huh?" The pink-haired lowered his head, joining his hands again, thinking hard about the next move and if his army was ready for it. 'There'll be no turning back…'

"_All communications must be cut for three days the moment the drill begins; your men will have no outside help, you'll be on your own, be sure of what you're doing when you decide to initiate the drill… Natsu."_

'There'll be no turning back…'

"Sir, all divisions are ready and waiting." The officer standing next to him said, eyeing a pad that resumed the statuses of Crocus' forces.

"I know," Natsu stood up from his seat and past the table, the officer following him close; he eyed each and every one of the big screens that showed the conditions of the planets of the star system. 'Crocus… Earthland… Edolas… Galuna…' He stopped at the image of the last one; the symbol of a sword piercing a skull from above enthralling his eyes until he shook his head and sighed. 'This is no time for that… but…' He turned towards the officer that was tracking his every step and scowled at him. "Connect me with Galuna… Knight's Headquarters…"

The officer did a double take at the request, some other officers turned to look worriedly at their superior. "S-sir, are you sure…?"

"Communications will be cut for three days…" Natsu smiled despite the gloomy atmosphere of the place. "…I'm sure of what I'm doing, Romeo."

Romeo stared at his role-model for what seemed like hours before nodding uncertainly. "Aye sir, I'll connect you right away." He pressed some holographic buttons on his pad and looked back at his superior. "Transmission established, General, do you want me to set the soundproof barrier?"

"I'd appreciate it." Natsu said and the second he did, an electric barrier surrounded him. Distorting all his words and making them hard to hear for those that were curious enough, though the image of the person to which he was talking to was evident for all of them. It was a man of long wild black hair and red eyes wearing the SF's suit from the Knight division. Natsu groaned. "Dammit! Why're you answering?!"

_-Who else did ya expect, shithead?!-_ The man at the other side answered, frowning at the pink-haired and his growling. _–Did ya hope ta see your woman or wha?!"_

"Stay out of my fucking business and connect me with your Major, bullhead!" Natsu growled again and after a few more moments, the screen blurred and changed to show a person wearing a red SF's helmet. Long scarlet hair tied in a high ponytail assuring him that the person was the one he was looking for. He smiled genuinely at the image. "Hey… how's it going?"

_-Everything is in the green, General.-_ She answered out of customary, forcing a chuckle to escape from the pink-haired man. She tilted her head slightly to a side in confusion. _–Something the matter, sir?-_

"This is a personal call, Erza," he informed her, grinning amusedly at her jerking head and tries to keep the formalities. "There's no need to be formal."

_-Even if you, sir, have the soundproof barrier, I have no such benefit,-_ she reminded him, her scowl being perceived through the mask by Natsu and amusing him even more. _–Everything I hear or say is open to my troops to hear… cannot you call at a later time?-_

"Sorry, I'm about to start the new drill soon," he turned serious, rolling his eyes in annoyance. "Communications will be cut for the next three days."

The woman remained silent, staring in wonder at him before nodding and bringing her hands up to take her helmet off. Brown eyes, soft yet marked features, scarlet hair, and an almost noticeable scar at the left side of her small nose… yes, she was the one the General wanted to talk to. _–What's wrong, Natsu?-_

"Nothing… much… I just wanted to let you know of what's going on here." Natsu explained waving his hands around. "It seems command wants us to test a new drilling program, based on real combat and with heartless enemies…" He winked at her. "I doubt my chances of survival…"

_-Why's that?- _She asked worriedly, already imagining he got injured or something in the past week they had from seen each other. She just didn't understand what the blink of his eye meant.

"Why'd it be? I didn't get my good luck kiss! That's why!" He grinned openly, surprising her and annoying her at the same time.

She growled loudly and cut the transmission.

He blinked at the screen for a minute before heaving a long sigh.

He called her again and, surprise, her second-in-command answered again.

_-I bet things didn't go as planned?-_ The black-haired man laughed loudly on purpose, annoying the General to no end.

"Shut up and connect her!" Natsu growled loudly, the sound of his voice even startling the officers that shouldn't be aware of his talks inside the soundproof barrier. He saw the black-haired man scoff before the screen changed to the same woman of scarlet hair he was meaning to talk to. She frowned at his reappearance. He sighed. "C'mon, Erza… there'll be no more chances for three days…" His brows furrowed in concern. "…I'm not worried about me here, what if something happens to you?"

_-I doubt something can happen, we already went through the drill and came out successful.- _Erza explained nonchalantly, showing the report of the exercise set in Galuna a week ago and surprising the man to whom she was talking to. _–Hey, why so surprised?-_

"Why am I surprised? Hey! You didn't tell me of that!" He yelled to her, feeling slightly betrayed yet relieved that nothing happened to her.

_-I thought you were informed of this… I guess you weren't- _She narrowed her eyes in thinking. _–Central Command is getting suspicious with each new move they make… there's less communication in between the bases, officers and the government… some decisions don't even make sense… like this change in the standard emergency drill… many soldiers are lost and communications are cut for three days? Please… tell me you saw something weird in that as well.-_

Natsu just shook his head, breathing deeply before scratching the back of his head. "I did… I brought it up to Gerard when I called him off duty after the last meeting and he thinks the same… but there's little he can do when most of the Generals approve of something and his father thinks the same as them."

_-Keep the emergency lines open just in case,-_ the Major recommended. _–If anything comes up during the drill I'll give you a heads up.-_

"I will… thanks, Erza…" He made a mental note to remember that. After all the strange movements made by his fellow Generals, he couldn't overlook something this serious. Not if it was something that could bring harm to his men… and his family. The strengthening of Galuna's main forces, the delays and lack of some equipment from the factories in Edolas, the lack of activity from Earthland to the matters outside the system, the whole business looked weird. The army was acting weird except for those that were more loyal to the Chief of Staff than to the Emperor and that was something Natsu, Erza and some others noticed and were now trying discreetly to look into. Natsu made an effort to say good bye now, the objective of this call was over. "I… I'll call you again when the drill's over… so we can meet in our next free day."

_-…- _Erza remained quiet, looking down with a frown for a moment before straightening her posture to smile to her husband. _–It's been a while since we last saw him, don't you think?-_

"Yeah… I bet he misses us…" He closed his eyes and thought of his son, who was under the care of Natsu's sister, Meredy, in Earthland. He gazed back at the redhead, giving a weak smile. "Wish me luck."

_-…- _She stared quietly for a moment. A brief flickering in her eyes told the man she was still beating herself up for what happened the last time he said those words and she responded. Not that it was her fault; there was no way for them to know what would happen later after she said those two words. She faked a smirk, cutting the transmission without losing a single second.

'Always doing the same…' Natsu shook his head in dry amusement, moving a hand to touch the scar in his neck. 'She never wishes me luck after that time and she won't change that habit now…' Sighing deeply, he clicked a few buttons and the soundproof barrier was lifted, showing him several screens with his Colonels, stationed in the Training Area, staring at him. He saw that all of them were frowning at him in concern, even the Special Forces leader. He chuckled amusedly, trying to beat down the heavy atmosphere that settled around him and was getting inside of him too. "Now now, don't tell me I shouldn't have done that."

_-Shit happens when you call her before a battle,- _Sting's frown deepened. _–You should seriously stop those urges of yours… it scares the shit out of us!-_

_-That's true, Natsu,- _Doranbolt followed, looking as concerned as the others. –_We lost three whole squads against the rebels last time…-_

_-This thing clouds your mind, Natsu,- _Laxus told him sternly, shrugging the glare he received. _–I miss my family too, but I prefer to call them when the shit's over.-_

_-Oh? So we're not using military code now?- _Sting teased, but shook his head when he realized it was not the time for that. _–As he said, it's better to do it later and bring good news, don't ya think?-_

_-C'mon boss! We need you clear-minded here!- _Bickslow yelled with a big grin, trying to brighten the place a bit. _–And you get too moody for our liking when you do this!-_

_-I agree,- _even Porlyusca seemed concerned for her superior's personal issues. _–We need you at your best, brat, and I'm sure Major Scarlet thinks the same.-_

Natsu stayed quiet and let them say all they wanted to say. They were right, yes, but it was his gut feeling telling him to do those pre-battle calls. He always felt less burdened after doing them so he thought it was better than having his mind wondering what was happening with his wife and kid. But… there was something big inside of him this time; a dreadful feeling at the pit of his stomach that screamed to him to make that call. He couldn't put a finger to it, but he got rid of half of that with the call… only half of it. He shrugged off the words and thoughts with a small smile and shook his head.

"I don't know why you're all worried about me," he smiled cheekily. "Central Command told me you guys must fend this drone army by yourselves… if I intervene, the whole army will be seen as lacking and we'll be punished as I informed you earlier."

_-Still, those calls are our death sentences.- _Laxus shook his head tiredly and sighed. _–Try not to do them so often… or before real battles.-_

_-That's right! Do one more and I'll beat the crap out of ya!- _Sting, even if his words were serious, grinned openly. He always liked the idea to face the once famous Salamander in battle.

"Okay, enough chatter," Natsu waved his hand and put his serious side once more. He was happy to know he had their trust and care but now there were more important matters to attend to. He faced Doranbolt and nodded firmly; all of his Colonels understanding what he wanted to do next and steeling their own minds for what would follow. "Start it."

_-Aye sir!- _Doranbolt nodded and cut the transmission.

_-I bet I'll kill more drones than you, Laxus!-_ Sting stuck his tongue out and cut the transmission.

_-Heh… he might kill more than me but he never beats Rogue…-_ Laxus shook his head in dry amusement and cut the transmission.

_-Tch… kids these days…_- Porlyusca groaned and cut the transmission.

_-If I could only fly a Dragon again… I'd show them who's da boss…-_ Bickslow looked down and cut the transmission.

'And… I get to sit here again…' The General leaned back on his chair and folded his arms behind his head, sighing tiredly at the long day waiting for him and in which he would remain sitting around doing nothing more than stare. 'Maybe I could piss off Porlyusca… just to keep it lively…'

He shivered when he imagined the possibility of a long-boring report from her part as revenge.

'Or maybe not…'

* * *

_Planet Galuna - 2nd moon, Fiore._

'_Knights' Headquarters._

_Major's quarters, 15:40._

Erza looked down after the communication was over, turning on her heels towards the only exit of her office to get some fresh air. She didn't like it when Natsu called her before something important. It always made her think he thought of her like a good luck charm or something. And after what happened when they met...

"Thinkin' 'bout that dumb man of yours, Major?" She heard a voice to her right and when she turned her head to see, she found her second-in-command, Sergeant Major Gajeel Redfox, walking next to her with his eyes set on the road. He didn't look mad… or happy… he was stoic as she was.

The scarlet-haired woman sighed. "Show more respect to him," she shook her head at his rolling eyes. "He's a superior officer."

"I'll try, but shithead gets on my nerves." He stretched his neck to a side.

Her tone promised death, a painful death. "Gajeel."

"You didn't answer my question, Major." He glanced at her glaring eyes with boredom, scratching his scalp with his fingers and showing no fear at her possible retaliation.

"I was, yes, but that's no business of yours." Erza continued to walk down the corridor with the man following her steps, which started to annoy her. "Don't you have something better to do?"

He shrugged. "Nah, the other officers are trainin' some newbies and the guys are practicin' the usual…"

She narrowed her eyes. "And why aren't you practicing?"

"I'm too damn awesome for my own good," Gajeel smirked challengingly, no hint of a joke in his words. "I might take your spot one day."

She smirked equally, curling her hands into fists. "You can try."

"M-major Scarlet!" A young female officer came running from a room they just passed; stopping the two with her startled cry and making them turn to see her. "T-there you are!"

"What's the matter, Sergeant?" Erza asked sternly, narrowing her eyes at the girl to receive a salute as she trained her soldiers to do. The man next to her was cackling at the poor officer's luck of catching their leader in a bad mood. Not everyone had his rare 'I-don't-give-a-damn' attitude to stand tall in front of Erza's frightening and imposing figure.

The girl straightened herself up and gave a proper introduction and salute. After it, she delivered the news she got from the communications room a few moments ago. "S-sir, the Star Battlecruiser Cerberus is returning from the outer rims... their distress signal is active."

"?!"

* * *

_Fortress World – Planet Crocus._

_Training Grounds – Area 9._

_Drone Control Center, 06:50._

"We're authorized, people!" Doranbolt walked down the aisles screaming to every one of his men. "Start the programs and insert the basic offensive protocols." The computers in the room where controlled by members from Squad One to Six. Squad Seven was in charge of helping the troops in Area Fourteen and Squad Eight was in the Tenrou to assist the ship's repairers. Though for what he heard, they were sent to keep the engines and shield generators instead. 'That Bickslow knows what's best for his ship…' He stopped and turned to see Lahar walking quietly behind him, eyeing his notepad and typing some things. "What's up with you? Shouldn't you be in Area Fourteen with your squad?"

"U-uh, sir? You told me to stay, remember?" Lahar answered a bit irked. He would never grow accustomed to his superior forgetting about his own orders. Good luck it was only with him or the rest of the Division would surely be a mess by now. He faced his notepad again. "And I was checking the arsenal given to the drones…" His eyes narrowed. "Some of them have weapons that can bring down the Tenrou if used well."

"You worry too much, man," the Colonel shook his head amusedly. "We won't deploy those today or ever. I don't want to get an earful from two superiors in a day."

"And the others… they have enough plating on them to sustain the fire from our guys…"

"I say it again; you worry too much." Doranbolt raised his arm and motioned for his men of Squad Five and Six. "Release the first wave, just Walkers and Stalkers. Let's warm up the guys before releasing the heavy metal."

"Yes sir."

* * *

_Training Grounds – Area 14._

_Front trenches – Second Line._

"Thing's gotten pretty quiet, huh?" Removing the clip of his Scorpio to check it was full and putting it back in, Sting's eyes were locked on the impressive field in front of their defensive line. His words meant to be for his second-in-command through the intercom. That as always didn't respond to his comments. "North's clear."

_-East's clear, sir.-_

_-So is South.-_

_-I've got movement to the West.-_

The moment those words were heard, the fortress' alarms went off and every single scope and barrel was pointed to the right side of the place. Sting and Rogue headed to the place to witness and test just how tough those drones from Central Command were.

Six blocks of a hundred of drones each were heading in marching formation towards them.

"This is strange." The Lieutenant from the SF's muttered to her men, lowering her rifle after seeing the drones marching like an army on parade, without looking for cover or worrying about the hundreds of guns being pointed at them. The drones were of the average human size, with slender legs and arms, flat feet and hands with slim digits to hold and fire the weapons they were carrying. Long sharp heads with two glowing red dots at the front to simulate eyes and a trapezius-like torso, which had a small antenna on the back to receive orders. She turned around, heading with her men to their assigned objective. "They surely saw us, but they did no move of acknowledgement so far."

There were some other machines walking behind them. Fifty of them spread in between four rows behind the main army.

They had four legs for what they could see; two pointy legs at each side with a large plate up and in the middle of the four to keep them together. The plate had a part where it wasn't flat and had a small protuberance where there were, as the other drones, two glowing red dots simulating eyes. They were taller than the other drones, but they didn't carry any guns with them.

_-Ghoul, Reaver, Zombie; bombard the advancing army and lower their numbers.- _The order from the Tenrou resonated through the intercom and all the soldiers watched curiously as the fighters from their fleet stop swirling over the base to head directly to the drone army. When they were close they released their rockets and let them fly to see them explode in some specific areas in between the mass of machines, scraps of metal raining over the drones that got off the explosions because of the distance.

"Those things aren't so tough after all…" Laxus told Lyon while eyeing the first strike through some binoculars. Though what he saw next made his eyes go wide. "What the…?"

"Those things can transform?" Lyon watched how the taller machines levitate from the ground to join their four extremities and took off flying in pursuit of the fighters from Aquarius, keeping up with their speed and shooting at them with lasers that were located in the middle plate. Three fighters were shot down in less than a minute. The white-haired saved his binoculars in his belt and pointed a finger to the places he had been inspecting earlier, some men around him flinching at the tone of his voice. "Squads One, Two and Three! Take positions and prepare for a possible advancement from the north…!"

A line of explosions stopped him and the intercom resonated with cries of pain.

_-Ghoul Squadron reports heavy casualties!-_

_-Return to base, Ghoul! Burn Squadron, take its place!-_

_-Going out!-_

"Things are going down quickly," Laxus smashed his binoculars against the lower wall and grabbed his gun from the table, tapping his earphone with two fingers. He knew machines were efficient and ruthless fighters, but he didn't expect their guys to fall so quickly against them. "Squads Four, Five and Six; follow my lead. We'll show these damn assholes what happens when you mess with us!"

_-Roger!-_

"S-sir, wait…!" Lyon took his own weapon and followed his superior officer into the battlefield.

"Shit!" Sting emptied another clip on the advancing army of drones, crouching down to take cover from the laser weapons the machines had in their hands. "Not just their aircrafts but them too?!"

"Amazing how Command wants to test us…" Rogue stood up and aimed at the closer drone to his position, some soldier next to him beating him in destroying the thing to pieces with the .50cal bullets of his Scorpio. Rogue nodded at the man before the poor fella was shot down by a laser; the inside and borders of the helmet sprayed with his blood. The Major crouched low and did some covering fire, eyeing his superior cursing at the losses they were having. Four squads in the western trenches reported to half of their men down and the exercise started just a few minutes ago. "Calm down, Sting, we'll avenge every one of them…"

"That's not what's angering me!" The blond stood up from his position and fired without releasing the pressure on the trigger, sending volley after volley of bullets to the advancing army. The third trench was fine for what he could see, not many died there, but the first and second were in trouble, mostly because of the accuracy of the laser weapons from the drones. "Command'll have a long rant from me after this shit's over!"

A hand roughly brought him down to cover before the same that happened to the others could happen to him. Rogue glared at him, clutching his shoulder tightly. "Calm down either way! You won't give any rant if you're dead!"

The blond narrowed his eyes and shrugged the hand harshly, checking the ammunition counter in his weapon before standing up to continue with his tension release.

* * *

"All snipers near the west side; decimate the enemies' flanks." Porlyusca communicated through the intercom, seeing in her screen how the enemy, depicted as small red dots, continued to advance wave after wave and tried to surround the trenches of the west side. "Spotters, count the enemy fighters and send the information to the Tenrou."

_-U-understood, sir!-_ There was a small silence after that, in which more explosions were heard. Though these ones were stronger, and shook the very ground of the base.

"Squad Five, report. What was that?" She could see some larger red dots at the back of the drone army. She got no response. "Squad Five, report now!"

* * *

"Freaking great." Sting leaned against the wall of the trench that faced the drones, scowling at the image of their central bunker crumbling to the ground and burning in a wild fire. Some soldiers jumping from the inside engulfed in flames and trying to set them off by rolling on the sand. "Just _fucking_ great… they have heavy weapons too?!"

"All bunkers at the west side; rain death on the enemy," Rogue was standing straight, releasing more rounds of his Gemini Twin SMGs on some drones before crouching to deliver more orders. By the look of his face, he was angry. "Make them regret the day they were created."

_-With pleasure, sir!-_The loud rumbling of their Aquarius Assault Cannons was heard spitting fire to the drones and destroying them until there were nothing more than scrap metal. A loud growl was heard. _-Wheelers have all-round protective shields.-_

"You guys should've had the HWs firing a long time ago…" Looking to the right, they saw Laxus, Lyon and three squads of shock troopers joining them in the trenches, firing their Leo Assault Rifles and Caprico Assault Shotguns at the enemy. The older blond eyed the bodies of the marines in the trenches and some others that were being taken to the medical ward by the medics. He made a clicking sound with his tongue. "Good thing we came… we're going to move north but thought better after seeing what those things have behind their main force…"

"What do you mean?" Sting asked quirking an eyebrow. His answer was Lyon handing him a pair of binoculars. He peek through the top of the trench and used the binoculars to see beyond the mass of drones. His eyes widened. "H-hey… a-aren't those…?!"

* * *

_-T-the drones have tanks at the back, Colonel!- _The shocked voice of the leader of Squad Four answered Porlyusca's question. _–They destroyed the central bunker… Squad Five seems to have been taken out!-_

"Curses…!" The woman pressed some buttons and switched the image of the battlefield to the communications panel, wanting to know why the army of drones was deployed full force against their forces by the Engineers. Her answer was a sign in the screen, a red one that told her communications with the DCC in Area Nine was unavailable. She smashed the table with her clenched fists, grinding her teeth in sheer rage. "That cocky brat…!"

_-Colonel, we've reached Area Nine,-_ the voice of her ace resonated in her intercom. _–There's no sign of the engineers… there are drones guarding the main access points and they are heavily armed.-_

"Get inside by any means necessary and neutralize the facility!" Porlyusca barked her orders, feeling even more rage after seeing in her map that the south and north sides of their base were under attack. The ground shook violently a few more times and in her screen, three bunkers showed to be taken out. "If any engineer opens fire, shot him down! If you find Colonel Doranbolt, arrest him! This is out of the course of the plan!"

_-As you will.-_

* * *

_Crocus' orbit._

_Flagship Tenrou – Bridge, 07:47._

_-Lamia!- _A Dragon fighter went up as much as it could, three drone fighters following it close behind and opening fire in bursts to take it down. It spun in the air, twist and turning in the space to avoid the fate of its squad partners and looking for a way to shake its pursuers off. _–Sword Four here! My squad's down!-_ It skyrocketed to the surface and blasted a drone fighter that was in its way, seeing the thing explode into nothingness. _–I need to refuel and repair my ship, over!-_

_-Lamia here. Our hangars are full,- _It was hit in the third wing, close to the two remaining rockets it had. It did an evasive and tried to shake them off again, firing on the army advancing to the trenches to the north of Area Fourteen's base. _–Night Raid says it's organizing new squads from situations like yours, we recommend you go there, over.-_

_-Thanks Lamia, Sword Four out!-_ The Dragon went up to orbit again, mixing itself in the chaos made by its comrades and the drone fighters, barely eluding a missile heading to the bridge of the Tenrou.

That was destroyed on contact with its protective shield.

The room rocked for a moment before the people inside continued to rush on their duties delivering new orders and formations, ensuring the survival of the ships, its fighters and their pilots.

"A-admiral, we lost four squadrons so far, transports and medevacs cannot go out either," Max did a resume of the situation for his superior, pressing and passing from one situation to the other in his computer. The state of the fleet was great, not a single damage reached to the battlecruisers, but the same could not be said for their smaller ships. They lost Ghoul, Zombie, Axe and most of Sword. Transports and medevacs were instantly targeted and shot down before they ever reach the surface. And ground forces could not receive any air support with the rest of the squadrons trying to defend the bigger ships. "Our presence on the surface is nonexistent and our ground forces' requests are piling up; Skylogia wants a strafing run to the south, Scars needs some medevacs for Squads Two and Three, and Spectre has five objectives targeted."

"We received a message from our guys at the defensive turrets," another officer called from one of the computers at the front of the bridge, stopping momentarily when the ship trembled due to a set of explosions nearby. "T-they need the engineers to do some minor repairs on the targeting system!"

"A-admiral, Sword Four reports to have taken down five drone fighters, but the last one crashed against the ship's hull!"

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" Bickslow cursed back and forth, going through his screen like crazy in search of a way to solve the troubles with his fleet. The Tenrou and the other ships were fine but there was no way to organize the squadrons. Whenever one of them was in danger of being taken down, they requested for assistance, but there was no way for them to send another to help. And the drones seemed to take notice of this, if their targeting on weakened fighters meant anything. 'Just one goddamn hour and our side's losing?! Those pieces of junk are too damn smart for a simple drilling procedure! And their tactics… they are aiming to reduce our main force completely!' The situation in the surface was also proof of that. The tanks were too much for the ground forces; the Divisions organized themselves to send just eight or nine squads of ten guys each with no mechanized unit to use since the engineers were controlling the enemy army, thus leaving most of their men at their bases and the others in Area Fourteen to fend the enemy as they could. 'Our best troops are here… and they're being taken out like flies… which means…!'

"Admiral, sir!" An officer from the front computers yelled in between the ruckus, looking shocked. "Transmission coming from the General!"

"Connect us now!" As soon as he said that not one but four screens around him. The other officers were connected as well in different areas of the battlefield; Sting seemed to have made a command post in a rundown bunker at the corner of the northwest front, Laxus was in the same situation in the southwest, Porlyusca was in her own center of operations at the center of the base, and Natsu was in the war room wearing his command-glasses. A set of eyewear made for real-time analysis of the situation that showed its user the most important points to take account on in the middle of a fight. Every one of them had frowns etched on their faces, their eyes not hiding their rage at what they discovered and that Bickslow noticed too. "I take you guys noticed it too…"

_-This blasted drone army is aiming to exterminate us!-_ Sting yelled without a care, seeing the many losses his division had put him on edge.

_-That's right, they are shooting to kill… even medics and wounded…-_ Laxus gritted his teeth, taking a cigar from his pant pockets and lighting it with a lighter he pulled out from the other one, chewing the thing to lower his anger.

_-I'll have Squad Seven eliminate Doranbolt,- _Porlyusca hissed, not liking this betrayal. _–That brat has gone too far!-_

_-Hold it right there,-_ Natsu, doing his best to keep his cool, ordered. He couldn't believe what he noticed after the start of the drill or how he was fooled by the higher-ups in Earthland. He would have revenge for this, that was certain, but first he needed to ensure the safety of his men and officers. _–Colonel Doranbolt needs our help. Dispatch Seven to neutralize the drones manning the DCC and rescue our engineers.-_

* * *

_Planet Galuna - 2nd moon, Fiore._

_Settlement T-005, 17:00._

_-Time is seventeen o'clock.-_

A groan was heard in the room, a tired groan from one person that was the only one inside the small apartment. The curtains to the large window that extended from left to right and that gave view to the settlement and the already darkening day. The sun was hiding on the horizon, letting the great planet of Galuna and two other moons be visible like a huge painting all over Fiore's purplish sky, and the lights on the streets were turning on to give visibility to the citizens.

'How much did I sleep…?' Gray thought while sitting well in his couch, sticking out his chest when trying to get rid of the soreness in his back's muscles. He made a mental note to not sleep on the couch again. He remembered the voice of the computer telling him it was five in the afternoon and groaned even louder than last time. 'Four fucking hours…?!'

He got up and went immediately to the bathroom, undressing quickly and throwing his clothes to a pile in the corner of the room to take a quick hot shower. He never liked the smell of leather he had when sleeping on that damned furniture.

After a few minutes, he shut the water off and went to dress in his room, drying himself on the way. 'Wonder how Lyon's drill is going…' His eyes narrowed when remembering how the talk ended earlier that day. 'I should call him before going to bed to see if everything alright.' Getting dress with just a dark blue tee and black sweatpants, he headed to the kitchen and looked for something to eat while asking for the computer to turn on the TV. "TV on."

_-In other news, the Confederate government in Galuna has issued new taxes to the citizens of the colony…-_

'Like I care for something like that…' He shook his head and continued to look for something in the fridge and under the counter, just finding some old crackers and some milk that expired the day before yesterday. He ran a hand through his hair and scratched the back of his head. 'I gotta get some things before the shop closes…'

_-Breaking news! We have received word from our sources that the Quatro Cerberus, the thought long lost flagship of the Conferedacy's Colonization Fleet, has returned and is orbiting around our moon, Fiore!-_

"W-what the...?!" Gray left the crackers on the table and ran to the window, opening it manually to search the sky with his eyes, noticing some other citizens doing the same from the streets or the windows of their homes. His eyes widened when the mighty Star Battlecruiser revealed itself in all its rundown glory.

There were many damages done to the hull of the ship, some parts were even on fire.

What happened to it?

_-The Confederate Army sent us information about this situation. It seems no communications are coming from the ship, except the distress signal. They have also informed us that they have dispatched a team from the Special Forces to explore the ship.-_

Gray squinted his eyes when a small glowing dot neared the ship.

If what he heard recently was right, then that dot was the SFs heading to the ship.

"Wonder what Lyon will say about this…"

**-Transmission Terminated-**

* * *

_**-Decoding encrypted transmission-**_

_**-…-**_

_**-Decoding Complete-**_

_**-Audio logs available-**_

_-Your team will be sent to scout the ship.-_

"We found the engineers... Colonel Doranbolt is missing."

_-Fifth month. Day twenty-seven. An unknown fleet appeared and started to attack our ships. Their goal is a mystery; they didn't contact us and opened fire on sight... we lost the Teres Cerberus.-_

"If that's true... w-wait...! You damn traitor!"

"We lost contact with our guys in hangar three..."

_**-Audio logs blocked-**_

_**-Restarting decoding process-**_

_**-…-**_

_**-System failure-**_

* * *

**(A/N: And done... I gotta admit there's something off in this chapter, though that's on purpose. *grins* The plot thickens and it is a really deep plot. Matt can tell you it's true... *chuckles... charmingly*  
**

**Let's see now, I see I've gotten just 4 reviews -from good friends- and a couples of favs and alerts... *checks profile page and gasps* What the *beep*?! I have an awful lot of people following me or that have as their favorite author... but only 4 review? *eyes narrow* I'm getting mad here.  
**

**Did I tell you something? *scratches head* I guess I didn't. The thing is that another sci-fi story came up... a week or something ago... and no, it is not about vampires. *frowns* Who the hell tags a vampire story as sci-fi?! That's fantasy, people! Or supernatural... psh... *rolls eyes*  
Okay, too far away from what I REALLY wanted to say. There's a new sci-fi story and it is awesome! Check it out. "Night Raid: Prequel to A Ghost's Conviction" by Roxas.97... wha? You expected it to come from Dauwz? Da lazy brah... *snickers* he be no fun at all... *laughs madly*  
**

**Yo homies, Kuro's out!  
**

**Saludos.)  
**


	3. Blasted Diplomacy

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or any of its characters; they belong to the one and only Hiro Mashima.**

**Nor do I own anything else in this chapter or story that's related to other movies, games or animes.**

**I do own the idea for the fic though.**

* * *

**Lost Cause.**

**Transmission 02: **_"Blasted diplomacy"_**.**

* * *

_Fortress World - Planet Crocus._

_Central Command._

_War room, 08:00._

_-What do you mean he needs our help!?-_ Porlyusca yelled in outrage from her position, not wanting to use her men to save the one that could be responsible for the mess their drill was and that killed many of their best soldiers.

"Exactly as you heard," Natsu set his eyes forward, not looking at anyone but the screen that only relayed information about Crocus' overall defense. Not just the training grounds, but the whole planet was on alert and under attack of the drones, even the base of the engineers. "Check your maps, people, we're on full alert."

_-You serious?!- _Sting typed some keys on his keyboard and saw the reports from his headquarters. His eyes widened in shock. The drone army took the main entrances and was trying to push forward to the center of the base, taking prisoners or killing the marines under his command. He gritted his teeth. _–Bickslow! Send me a Lotus now!-_

_-Haven't you hear, blondie? The entire place's under attack!- _The Admiral narrowed his eyes when the young blond glared daggers at him. _–I won't send a pilot to its death… find some other way.-_

_-I recommend you find a way faster than his ships,-_ the pink-haired woman muttered, shaking her head. _–Skylogia will be taken out by the time his transports reach your position.-_

_-Hey! I forgot about that damn change in plans and you're going to rub it on my face all the time now!?-_

_-Why yes. Especially when your incompetence can only compare to your ego.-_

_-Send that goddamn Lotus, Bickslow!-_

_-Like hell I will!-_

_-Huh… besides incompetent and loudmouthed, an untrustworthy fool… you have many traits, Admiral.-_

_-Say that again, you old hag!-_

_-Bickslow!-_

"I wonder," Laxus set his speakers on mute when he saw the General shaking slightly, a bored look in his face for what was going to come and his fellows caused out of stupidity. He should have seen it coming and even try to stop it from happening, but it was kind of amusing to see the three of them being scolded like little kids. "The hell you think you're doing!? Huh!? You think this's the best fucking time to fight over stupid things!?" Natsu breathed out a long calming sigh when he saw he got their attention, shaking his head tiredly, he continued to show the state of the situation. "The enemy cut the communications with the outside first and then they deployed groups of them in hangars near the bases of our divisions to neutralize our forces…" He clenched his fists. "I did my best but the situation got out of hand quickly…" He frowned. "Those things aimed for our officers first and even tried to take this building."

_-…what are our orders?-_ The SFs Colonel's doubts were still present even when she saw the condition in which Rune headquarters was. Many engineers were either dead or prisoner, and several pieces of machinery were being disarmed. Knowing the Colonel of that division as well as she knew him, the man would never do anything that could harm his men or vehicles. He was too proud of being an engineer to let that happen.

"Your orders are simple; push your way back to your bases and re-organize your divisions," the General didn't care of the surprised faces or the quirked eyebrow sent in his direction. He tapped his glasses and they changed the information again. "I'll take command of Squad Seven in your stead and disable the DCC."

The others didn't miss the shocked face of the pinkette.

Bickslow managed to get his voice first. _-Uh… boss? Don't you think you're being irrational? We can't move from where we're at the moment…-_

_-No,- _Porlyusca closed her eyes and nodded, not wanting to discuss the issue any longer._–General Dragneel is right; reorganizing our forces while sending a team to stop all this is our best choice… I just have one question.-_ She narrowed her eyes. _–Who will coordinate our forces?-_

_-Uh-huh, you can't do everything, Natsu…-_ Sting commented dryly, scratching the back of his head.

"I will." Natsu lowered his eyes and supported his body with his fists on the table, taking a deep breath when the concerned words of his officers started to boom in the room. "Laxus."

_-General?-_ The blond remained quiet for the most part of the conversation; knowing and trusting his superior and expecting to hear what he wanted him to do.

"When you reach the communications center," the Colonel smirked amusedly at being read so easily. Natsu knew beforehand Laxus was going to try and reopen communications before moving to his own base, the planet's main communications center was close to Scars Headquarters so the task could be done by the shock trooper squads. "Call your wife and ask her to keep watch over Galuna."

_-…why?-_ Laxus asked with narrowed eyes, trying to think of a reason for his boss to ask something like that. The others remained silent, wanting to know as well.

Natsu was in overdrive. All that was happening was messing with his head. The strange movements of the other Generals, this failed trial in which his army was being crippled… all pointed to one thing, but he didn't want to believe in it. Not after all that he did for them.

He punched the table strongly, denting the surface around the fist.

"I have a bad feeling about all this… that's all." Natsu jerked his head back up, showing his enraged face to the surprised Colonels. "If what I think turns out to be true… we no longer serve the Confederacy."

* * *

_Planet Galuna - 2nd moon, Fiore._

Moon's orbit_._

_Crimson Lotus' cabin area, 17:20._

A powerful small spacecraft designed to be a fast transport provider for the army; the Crimson Lotus Space Carrier or SC-35, was the standard air transport of the troops across the Confederate realm. Unarmed but versatile, the ship never failed to deliver its contents to wherever they were needed in the battlefield. It had the capacity to load fifteen soldiers inside and two doors at its sides for fast deployment of them.

Right now, the inside of the ship was full. Soldiers dressed and armed with suits and weapons from the Knights Special Forces were inside; all standing tall and proud, with their rifles on their backs and their fearsome swords in their sheaths supported by the belts around their waists, while their superiors stood at the front of the cabin.

Erza was clutching her rifle tightly by the grip with one hand, while Gajeel leaned on his for support.

He always felt sick to the stomach when flying on those fast ships.

She glanced at her subordinate and he gave her a short shaky nod.

She faced the bunch of soldiers under their command and scowled.

"Listen, the Quatro Cerberus has returned, as many of you heard, and it is in pretty bad shape." She turned midway and pressed a single button next to the door that leaded to the cockpit of the ship and the two pilots. A screen showed up with a clear image of the rundown ship they were about to board. It had six hangars, three on fire, one in good condition and two blocked from the inside. The engines were fine, but they were flickering, signaling they were about to lose power soon. The bridge and most of the corridors of the ship that had view to the outside were with their lights out, in complete darkness. Not a single soul could be seen from the exterior. "We tried to get in contact with them but no one answers our transmissions and the main computer's firewalls are keeping us from getting into the system to have a feed from their cameras."

The screen showed the door to the only hangar that was in condition. She pointed to the sides, to two tubes running up and down next to the huge doors. "We'll get inside through hangar three at the portside of the ship and move to the next objectives." A large schematic of the ship was shown and in it there were pointed three locations; one near the front of the ship, another one in the middle and the last one around the bridge of the Cerberus. "The ship's data storage near the bow, the crew quarters in the central area… and the Admiral's log in his personal computer at the bridge."

"Three teams of five." A soldier concluded, some others nodding to his reasoning.

"No," Erza shook her head. "Three teams of four will head to those positions and the remaining soldiers will guard the hangar to secure our landing zone and the Lotus."

_-Major, we're receiving a transmission from Central Command.-_ The voice from the co-pilot echoed through the speakers. _–It seems urgent.-_

Gajeel rolled his eyes while Erza looked at her men. They all straightened their postures and stood with their hands joined behind their backs. She nodded in their direction and faced the screen again, standing to the left while the black-haired man stood on the right. "Connect us."

_-Right away, sir.- _The screen blurred for a moment, showing some static before it revealed a very pale, long and sharp face, vaguely pointed ears, prominent eyelashes and dark-colored lips. A peaked hat and a standard officer uniform of deep purple color and four golden stars on his shoulder straps, he was the General in charge of Galuna and its forces.

He sneered at the sight of the SFs, showing complete hatred for the Major and her troops. _–Seems you're still on your way, keh, expected from you.-_

"Is there a reason for calling us, _sir_?" Erza did her best to voice the question without leaving her anger be obvious, though the aura around her made her men take a step back just as precaution.

_-Why yes, I just wanted to remind you of your objective,-_ the pale man cackled darkly, knowing his presence was irking the woman to the core. _-Your team will be sent to scout the ship.-_

"We know, General Porla, I was giving the guys their instructions." She motioned to the soldiers with a slight movement of her head.

_-Good, you're getting better.-_ Jose Porla sneered again, scowling with a smirk when he caught sight of some of the SFs stiffening their postures. They were keeping themselves in control under the watchful eye of their superior, who didn't want them standing up to defend her. _–I hope this simple mission is complete before the day ends… and I want a full report on your findings.-_

"I will do my best, _sir_." Erza nodded and gave a salute, knowing the transmission was about to end.

The General snorted loudly. _–Amusing how many times I heard those words… bye,_ Major.-

The transmission was cut and Gajeel gave a loud growl… with a slight burp.

"Damn fucker…" He gasped a few times and straightened his posture, containing his motion sickness now that the ship was moving so swiftly it helped against the weakness he had. "He wouldn't have gotten da position if not for the guys he sacrifices… and dat dammed Faust's crazy mind for promoting him…"

"Respect, Sergeant, even if they don't deserve it." the Major breathed out a long sigh and put her helmet on, seeing everything with the HUD of the lens. It marked friends in the vicinity, some details about them like the weapons they were carrying and her own weapons ammunition. The rifle issued to the SFs was the best and could take out almost anything in its sights, but the damn engineers forgot to add a bullet counter in it. How can they go to the field with a rifle that might be empty? She stretched her neck to the sides a bit and tapped the intercom twice to see if it was working before nodding. "Porla's our superior… and Faust's our Emperor…"

"Still… one's a pale ass freak, and the other guy's crazy as a goat…" Gajeel cackled sourly. "A black crazy goat…"

"That's why I swore to defend the people… and not him." The guys couldn't see it but they could imagine the smirk in her face. She hit the door leading to the cockpit two times and a muffled voice called from the inside. She answered out of customary. "How much left?!"

_-ETA in two minutes, Major.-_ The voice now answered through the speakers. All the people present did their last minute adjustments and stood once again when the time passed, hearing their leader voice out their instructions one last time before the ship came to a stop. _–We've reached our destination, sending docking codes to the hangar's system.-_

"Remember, watch out for anything." Gajeel leaned his neck to a side and stretched it until a crack was heard, doing the same with his arms and fingers before resting his gun over his shoulders and behind his head, both hands lying motionlessly at both ends. "We don't know what left the ship like shit, and we don't want to end like it… understood?"

"Aye sir!" A chorus of agreements was heard.

_-Major, we have a problem…-_ The voice of the co-pilot sounded through the speakers again before the ship rocked from one side to the other, making some of the people inside lose their balance. A loud barfing sound was heard along the sound of gunfire from the outside. _–The hangar didn't accept the codes we sent. It deployed the defensive drones and they're now trying to bring us down.-_

"Open the side doors!" She yelled without using the intercom, raising her arm to grab a black strap hanging from the ceiling to tie it around her waist. Some of quick thinking did the same as her and loaded their weapons. "Everyone! Aim and shot them down!"

"K-keh… it would be better if the thing didn't move so damn much…" Gajeel cleaned the sides of his mouth and put his helmet on, trying to kneel to get into firing position at the same time. Why he didn't accept the medicines from the medical teams? We would never know.

The doors opened by sliding to the back of the ship, letting full view of the space around Fiore, the surface of the moon, the rundown ship that was their objective and the blasted drones that were shooting volleys of machine gun fire at them.

"Remember, we have five minutes of oxygen!" Erza put her rifle in position, kneeling down on one knee, the butt of the rifle against her shoulder, one hand supporting it by the body and her head leaned slightly to see through the weapon's sight. She clicked her tongue when a drone caught sight of her and tried to move around to make her lose aim, only to explode when she nailed a bullet in the middle of the thing. "Take them down quickly and without wasting ammo!"

"E-easier said than done…" The black-haired man did the same movements as his superior and aimed at one of the drones. There were ten in total, nine after the 'headshot' from the Major, and the damned things just had to move around like flies when he was all dizzy. "I hate this…"

He pulled the trigger and hit one of the drones in one side, making it spin and lose movement enough time for another bullet to hit it and make it explode into pieces. The Sergeant nodded at the guy that took it down and continued with his own shooting.

"The engineers'll be delighted to see their defense systems work so good!" A soldier yelled, shooting at one drone and missing, he took cover and let a comrade take the shot. A guy that was kneeling next to him that took the drone with two shots. "Makes me wanna beat the guys up!"

"Keh! You alone?" Gajeel pulled the trigger again and another drone blew to pieces. He smirked contently of his work before the vessel started to rock violently, forcing him to cover his mouth with one hand while the other took hold of the black strap attached to the roof. "W-what the…?!"

_-S-shit! They managed to damage one of our engines!-_

"Close the doors!" Erza commanded, knowing the air was getting low and they were wasting ammo. She saw that only 4 drones remained outside, nothing to worry about. She hit the door to the cockpit again and the voice of the co-pilot greeted her.

_-Sir?!-_

"Take us inside!" Everyone looked at her questioningly, but Gajeel only widened his eyes in response. She was such a difficult superior to handle.

_-Hang onto something!-_ The vessel's pilot shouted and it echoed inside the cabin before the ship propelled itself forward and did what the woman wanted it to do.

"Oh dammit…" Gajeel muttered quietly. "…I don't get paid enough."

The vessel started a collision course against the hangar's doors and prepared its' shields to withstand the impact, successfully penetrating the hard-steel double doors and getting the SFs inside the Cerberus. Breaking through the battlecruiser's shields and armor, pushing aside all and any interference in its way before dropping itself on a side of hangar three, where many crates were and turned to pieces after the pressure of being put against the walls' of the hangar and the breaking in vessel.

Some fire started to set itself near the entrance and where the ship landed but it was quickly set off by the firefighter drones of the hangar, letting the carrier open its left door to let two SFs' soldiers get out and scout the ground. The hangar's system instantly set up a shield to prevent any other kind of intrusion inside the ship, thus preventing the defensive drones to get in and harass the crew of the SFs.

They moved through the place like air and oversaw everything around them, primary looking for enemies or harmful elements that could help or jeopardize their mission.

After three minutes of scanning the hangar, they lowered their rifles and nodded to each other, turning to face those getting out of the Lotus and nearing them to hear more instructions from their commanding officers.

Erza and Gajeel stepped out of the carrier with weapons at the ready, eyeing by themselves if the situation was clear as the soldiers said or if there was something to be careful of. The black-haired man noted that most of the doors in the hangar were sealed completely and none of them were granting them access to the rest of the Cerberus.

He groaned in annoyance. "Dammit… security lock-down is active… we won't open the doors unless we by-pass them…"

"That's why we're SF, Sergeant," the red-head reminded him while studying some burn marks in the crates near the vessel area. She inspected them thoughtfully, noticing that the weapons that caused those marks were not Confederacy related and belonged to some other entity. Surely, whatever was that caused the Cerberus' current state was the one to cause those impact shots, to make those acid burn marks. She turned to her soldiers, all out and ready for her call. "We are the only ones that can complete this mission and return unharmed." She eyed some of the doors that were locked. "Only we can get inside and overcome each obstacle until finding our real target…" She stretched her neck to a side and supported her gun with a shoulder. "…only we can figure out what happened to this ship and its' crew."

"A pain in the ass anyway…" The Sergeant muttered, moving towards a locked door with three soldiers following his lead. They started to by-pass the door while he talked to his superior. "…we'll head to the crew quarters to check if there are any survivors."

"Okay." She nodded in acceptance. Emergency protocols established by CC dictated for all crew members of a ship to head to the dorms in case of major breakdown of the ship's defenses. To ensure survival and a defendable position. Besides, the crew quarters of all Confederacy ships had most of the ammunitions and supplies stores there. If there's any chance of anyone surviving what befell the Cerberus, it was mostly there. Erza head to the stairs leading to the second floor and the elevator that granted access to the upper floors and the road to the bridge of the ship. "We'll check the Admiral's log and find out what happened to the fleet, don't waste time."

"Aye sir."

"You three," she pointed to the two guys that secured the location and another one that remained close to the carrier. "Protect the Lotus with your lives; it's our only way out."

"Aye sir!"

She nodded to them and turned to the now opening elevator door, finding its' inside light flashing by a lack of energy before getting inside to order someone to take them to the upper floors.

Leaving the hangar and safety to know what was inside the Cerberus.

* * *

_Fortress World - Planet Crocus._

_Training Area Nine._

_-Squad Seven, do you read me?-_

"Hey, isn't that?" A Spectre SF's soldier asked aloud.

"General Dragneel," the brown-haired lieutenant answered instantly, moving one hand to press two fingers against her earphones so as to ensure she could hear the head of the army loud and clear. "We read you."

_-I've got an special assignment for you, on only you can complete.- _Natsu's voice echoed inside their helmets, making some of them stiffen at the seriousness of his tone. Except for the lieutenant. _–The drones are being controlled by an unknown source, as you might have already figured, and are assaulting our bases and dropping our military strength to the minimal.-_

"Aye, we noticed." The lieutenant nodded, though some soldiers were throwing questioning glances in between. "Colonel Doranbolt wouldn't do something such as this." She raised her head to look above a rock formation, seeing the same heavy armed drones guarding the entrance to the DCC. "He'd not sacrifice his own men and materials like this."

_-Aye, exactly my thoughts_- Natsu appeared on the visors, his image reduced into a corner to show some schematics of the SCC's inner building and the position they had to reach to stop the massacre of Crocus' forces. Two points were highlighted in the map, showing the supply room of the building and the command center. _–I believe Coronel Doranbolt is being kept prisoner inside against his will in the CC, and the rest of the personnel inside the supply room.-_ He sighed deeply. _–At least, that's what our heat signatures tell. Check it out.-_

"We'll do so, General." The lieutenant nodded firmly and gripped her rifle firmly, some of her guys doing the same while the others waited for the nest order, even if it was too obvious. "Secure Doranbolt's safety and that of his engineers."

_-…good luck.-_

And the communication was cut short.

It was up to the imagination of the soldiers present if it was because of the drones or because of the General and the Lieutenant's past history. Either way, when she stood up firmly and aimed her rifle to one of the guard drones' head, all doubts and questions disappeared, there was only one objective now.

She pulled the trigger.

The head of the drone blew to pieces.

It was either kill or be killed.

As always.

* * *

_Home World - Planet Earthland._

_Era Metropolis, Confederacy's Central Command._

_War room, 12:00._

"This has gone too far…"

"I agree… we are losing too many soldiers."

"Good soldiers…"

"Emperor Faust deemed it so."

"So what? We're going to kill everyone that is not aligned to us now?"

"Not everyone, just a few."

"It's the goddamn same thing!"

"For you maybe, we see it as a purge…"

"To see who is truly with the Emperor…"

"Or against him…"

"…heartless bastards."

"Watch your mouth."

"Why should I?! You know as well as I do that this will make some rise up against us!"

"Indeed, we know."

"Uh?"

"This situation in Crocus will make the traitors leave the comfort of their shadows and show themselves to the light…"

"We will know who is with us and who is not…"

"Especially now that the Cerberus returned… in such a state."

"I understand your reasoning, but I don't tolerate this, I cannot. You're killing innocents to see whose friend or foe!"

"Isn't that worth it?"

"They gave their lives for a bigger purpose… I believe it is."

"You're all insane!"

"Be quiet or we will consider you a threat as well…"

"And the Emperor doesn't want that…

"As you well know…"

"…"

"Better now, let's see what the Cerberus found in the Tristan System."

"It's up to be good."

"To wipe out an entire fleet… the threat is serious."

"More than our own debacles."

"So we'll see it through to the end."

"As the Emperor wills it."

"…"

* * *

_Fortress World - Planet Crocus._

_Central Command._

_War room, 09:00._

_-General…-_ Laxus addressed his superior in the most careful way he could, knowing by experience that the man was volatile now that he was in a tight spot. He and his troops. The General never adjusted himself to the hardships of war or the losses that it brings, so it was to be expected to see him with his arms crossed and overviewing the battlefield with hate-filled eyes. _-…we reached the communications center, there's a message from Galuna I believe you'd want to hear.-_

"…"

* * *

**(A/N: Another project ended.**

**Saludos.)  
**


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